Narrative:

Re: departure procedures during WX events. During this and other recent WX events potential safety issues on the departure function have been realized when rtes are combined. In many cases; the pilots ask for the spelling of the rerte intxns; and may ask if they are to continue on the RNAV departure. Obviously; this increases frequency congestion; and the excess verbiage hinders the departure controller's ability to perform the primary duties of the departure function. Additionally; in most cases; increased in-trail mileage restrs exist on the combined rtes; and the mixture of this extra workload; excess verbiage; and frequency congestion unnecessarily augments the complexity of the departure function. Further; in this situation some aircraft may be on radar vectors and others on the RNAV procedure. Perhaps rerte aircraft are on radar vectors and all other rtes this departure controller is responsible for are on the RNAV procedure or some other combination of radar vectors and the RNAV procedure. As the complexity and volume increases it is easy for a controller not to realize an RNAV aircraft is turning as they are programmed; which can lead to a potential degradation of safety. To summarize; 2 problems have been idented during route combining. One; many pilots are unprepared to accept intersection rertes creating at a minimum excess verbiage. Two; the mix of aircraft on radar vectors and RNAV procedures can lead to safety issues. The following suggestions will eliminate or at least mitigate these problems: 1) when rtes are combined on a particular departure position all RNAV aircraft worked by that departure controller should be placed on radar vectors. 2) instead of relying on the RNAV intxns for the WX rerte; utilize the radials associated with the intxns; ie; 'due to WX this will be vectors to the maverick 275 degree radial expect further routing from ZFW.' 3) advertise on the departure ATIS that a particular departure gate(south) may have rertes. This does not necessarily have to be specific since routings can change rapidly; ie; 'due to WX north gate departures (or SID names) may be rerted.' note: the reference to aircraft on radar vectors is not referring non-RNAV aircraft; but instead the RNAV aircraft placed on radar vectors due to the WX situation or other reason. It is understood that non-RNAV aircraft will always be on radar vectors.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: D10 CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING DEP RTE COMBINATION(S) DURING WX EVENTS AND RNAV VERSUS VECTOR PROCS.

Narrative: RE: DEP PROCS DURING WX EVENTS. DURING THIS AND OTHER RECENT WX EVENTS POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES ON THE DEP FUNCTION HAVE BEEN REALIZED WHEN RTES ARE COMBINED. IN MANY CASES; THE PLTS ASK FOR THE SPELLING OF THE RERTE INTXNS; AND MAY ASK IF THEY ARE TO CONTINUE ON THE RNAV DEP. OBVIOUSLY; THIS INCREASES FREQ CONGESTION; AND THE EXCESS VERBIAGE HINDERS THE DEP CTLR'S ABILITY TO PERFORM THE PRIMARY DUTIES OF THE DEP FUNCTION. ADDITIONALLY; IN MOST CASES; INCREASED IN-TRAIL MILEAGE RESTRS EXIST ON THE COMBINED RTES; AND THE MIXTURE OF THIS EXTRA WORKLOAD; EXCESS VERBIAGE; AND FREQ CONGESTION UNNECESSARILY AUGMENTS THE COMPLEXITY OF THE DEP FUNCTION. FURTHER; IN THIS SIT SOME ACFT MAY BE ON RADAR VECTORS AND OTHERS ON THE RNAV PROC. PERHAPS RERTE ACFT ARE ON RADAR VECTORS AND ALL OTHER RTES THIS DEP CTLR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ARE ON THE RNAV PROC OR SOME OTHER COMBINATION OF RADAR VECTORS AND THE RNAV PROC. AS THE COMPLEXITY AND VOLUME INCREASES IT IS EASY FOR A CTLR NOT TO REALIZE AN RNAV ACFT IS TURNING AS THEY ARE PROGRAMMED; WHICH CAN LEAD TO A POTENTIAL DEGRADATION OF SAFETY. TO SUMMARIZE; 2 PROBS HAVE BEEN IDENTED DURING RTE COMBINING. ONE; MANY PLTS ARE UNPREPARED TO ACCEPT INTXN RERTES CREATING AT A MINIMUM EXCESS VERBIAGE. TWO; THE MIX OF ACFT ON RADAR VECTORS AND RNAV PROCS CAN LEAD TO SAFETY ISSUES. THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS WILL ELIMINATE OR AT LEAST MITIGATE THESE PROBS: 1) WHEN RTES ARE COMBINED ON A PARTICULAR DEP POS ALL RNAV ACFT WORKED BY THAT DEP CTLR SHOULD BE PLACED ON RADAR VECTORS. 2) INSTEAD OF RELYING ON THE RNAV INTXNS FOR THE WX RERTE; UTILIZE THE RADIALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INTXNS; IE; 'DUE TO WX THIS WILL BE VECTORS TO THE MAVERICK 275 DEG RADIAL EXPECT FURTHER ROUTING FROM ZFW.' 3) ADVERTISE ON THE DEP ATIS THAT A PARTICULAR DEP GATE(S) MAY HAVE RERTES. THIS DOES NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE SPECIFIC SINCE ROUTINGS CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY; IE; 'DUE TO WX N GATE DEPS (OR SID NAMES) MAY BE RERTED.' NOTE: THE REF TO ACFT ON RADAR VECTORS IS NOT REFERRING NON-RNAV ACFT; BUT INSTEAD THE RNAV ACFT PLACED ON RADAR VECTORS DUE TO THE WX SIT OR OTHER REASON. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT NON-RNAV ACFT WILL ALWAYS BE ON RADAR VECTORS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.